Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.

...

Sharks and Mermaids
Chapter Two

…

Konoha Academy was an impressive building, partitioned into several wings, classrooms, and activity rooms, from a gym and pool to a greenhouse and ballroom. The hallways were spacious, the library endless, and grounds well kept. While the academy didn't scream extravagance or excessive, it wasn't exactly lacking. Maybe it was more of a subtle prestige? Sakura inwardly nodded. KA knew it was the best, but didn't needlessly flaunt it. Most of the time anyway.

Walking down the hall, Sakura plucked at her uniform. A long black button cardigan with a white collared shirt under, finished at the neck with a loose bow. Her red skirt fell mid thigh and below that, a pair of black above-the-knee socks and penny loafers. Her dad had gushed about how adorable she looked and her response had been an eyeroll. She could've been wearing a potato sack and his reaction still would've been the same.

Lost in her musings, she almost missed the ring of the bell. Looking around and finding herself one of the last students in the hallway, she picked up her pace, hoping she was going in the right direction. Glancing up at the room signs, she breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted Classroom 1-b.

After her meeting with Tsunade, Yuhi-san had flagged her over to her office and informed her that, based on Sarutobi-sensei's recommendation, she'd be placed in a more advanced class. Sakura didn't have much time to contemplate it as she'd been promptly shooed out the office when the phone started ringing.

Well, it's now or never, Sakura. With a deep, steady breath, she walked through the open doorway.

"Yo! Saku-chan!"

Was it dread that just snaked down her spine? Sakura slowly turned toward the sound of Hidan's enthusiastic shout and offered a weak wave before approaching Hatake-sensei.

…

"So what're you doing here?" Hidan asked ten minutes later, leaning over to rest his chin on her shoulder. It just so happened that the only available desk was right in front of him.

Sakura glanced at him. "Being challenged. Advanced placement is what I'm supposed to call it."

Kisame hmmed from the desk right next to her. "A fucking mermaid and smart to boot."

"Saku-chan?"

"Why're you calling me that?"

"Because you're fucking cute."

Sakura snorted, smacking him on the shoulder. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

"Do it again, babe. I like it when you hit me," Hidan winked, a playful gleam in his burgundy eyes as he sat back in his chair.

She raised a brow, looked at Kisame who mouthed masochist, and shook her head. "Unreal…" she whispered, laughing to herself.

Glancing in front of her, she absently noted long black hair in a low, loose ponytail and broad shoulders covered by the academy's standard red blazer. She figured he must be friends with Kisame since she had seen them together earlier and really, she owed him a proper apology. Leaning forward, Sakura tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around, curiosity flickering across his too dark eyes, she melted a little inside. Damn, seriously? Ino would be having a conniption right now if she knew how many hot guys were here.

"Er...sorry about earlier. I was in a rush and didn't mean to run you over. I'm Sakura, by the way. Nice to meet you," she said, flashing him a warm smile and somehow, unable to shake the feeling of familiarity.

"Itachi. Nice to meet you too, Sakura."

…

She smelled fresh, with a hint of citrus, and summery. He'd half expected her to carry the scent of flowers. She looked like one enough. Hidan wasn't right about a lot of things, but he had to agree with him on this one. She was fucking cute, beautiful even for all her seemingly delicate features.

"Saku-chan…yo, Saku-chan!"

Itachi hid a smirk when he heard her sigh and grumble about irritating drill masters.

"What?" she hissed over her shoulder.

"My pencil fell. Grab it for me, will ya?"

An chalkboard eraser came flying from the front of the room, easily dodged by Itachi and an oblivious Sakura who had bent over. It landed squarely in Hidan's face and when Sakura turned around, it was to find a white cloud of dust and a nice rectangular imprint in the center of his good looks.

"Totally uncalled for, Hatake-sensei!"

"Oh, sorry. My arm slipped."

…

"H-Haruno-senpai?"

Pulling the strap of her swimming suit over her shoulder, she turned around and smiled at the group of young freshmen girls creeping their way closer. They were adorable, wide-eyed little things.

"Yes?"

One of them stepped forward. Moegi was her name, if Sakura remembered correctly.

"P-Please teach us!" The declaration was followed by emphatic nodding and eager eyes on the verge of desperation.

"Yeah, Haruno-senpai! Teach us!"

Flattered, Sakura waved away their earnest murmurs. "Swimming just takes practice."

Silence followed before the group deflated. "Not swimming, Haruno-senpai," clarified Moegi. "B-Boys. Teach us how to get boys."

Sakura's eyes widened, trying hard to fight back the laughter and-if she were to be truthful, the small amount of dawning horror-that was threatening to leave her lips at their lovestruck expressions. "Oh no," she frantically backpedaled. "I'm the last person you would ever want teaching you about that."

"But Haruno-senpai, everyone's totally into you!" Moegi pouted.

"What?"

"Tell us your secrets! Do you use a special perfume? Bat your eyes and lick your lips? The fallen pen trick maybe? Or the bend and snap? That's it, isn't it!"

Suddenly overwhelmed, Sakura beat a hasty escape as they got lost in their twittering. The bend and snap? She stifled her snort of incredulity. That was Ino's thing. Boys were Ino's thing in general. Maybe she should refer them to her blonde friend. It would certainly tickle her feminine ego.

"Haruno! Get your perky ass over here!"

She glared at a grinning Kisame who stood with a group of guys, some whom she didn't recognize. Draping her towel around her shoulders, she made her way over while tying up her hair in a loose bun and completely oblivious to their curious gazes.

"Meet the rest of the varsity team," Kisame introduced. "Team, Mermaid. Mermaid, Team."

Sakura ignored the nickname. "Nice to meet everyone," she greeted, suddenly a bit self-conscious. "I'm Sakura."

She was quickly swept into a pair of arms then, blonde hair filling her vision. "I've already heard a lot about you, Pink. My name's Deidara and-"

"I'm Tobi!" Said junior easily shoved the blonde aside and wrapped himself around her.

"Tobi! I'm going to fucking kill you!"

"Stay away from Saku-chan! I've already claimed her!"

"What the hell, Hidan! Lay the fuck off!"

Sakura wiggled her way out of flailing limbs and scuttled behind Itachi. "Are they always like this?" she asked, holding back a bout of giggles when Kisame wrapped a large hand around the back of Tobi's neck and growled at Deidara, while proceeding to stomp the shit out of Hidan.

He glanced over his shoulder at her. "Yes. Some days are better than others."

Sakura's laughing green eyes met his before narrowing accusingly. "How come you didn't tell me you were on the swim team?"

He turned around to fully face her, dark eyes subtly taking in her long toned legs, her enticing curves, and how the bathing suit did absolutely everything to enhance them and nothing to hide a stray pink lock into her hair tie, he smirked and Sakura thought it looked quite predatory.

"I'm co-captain, actually. Welcome to the swim team, Sakura."

"Get away from her, Itachi!"

…

When Sakura was in the water, everything else disappeared. A mermaid? She smiled as she took a breath and continued her freestyle down the lane. Maybe it wasn't far from the truth. Reaching the end, she grabbed the ledge and pulled up her goggles.

"Nice job, Haruno."

Sakura grinned and grabbed Kisame's offered hand. He hauled her out of the water as if she weighed nothing at all. Turning around, she caught Itachi and Deidara jumping into the pool. They were both practicing their butterflies and damn...

"Bunch of showoffs," Kisame scoffed.

"They're really good," Sakura breathed, her eyes glued to their forms.

Her blue haired captain smirked and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Only when they want to be. Since you appear to have more patience than the rest of us, I wanted to ask if you wouldn't mind coaching the new recruits with Itachi."

"Kisame?"

He raised a brow.

"You do realize I'm also a new recruit."

He grinned. "But you're a third year and made varsity. What more is there to say?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Hell, no."

"Kisame?"

"Yes, mermaid-chan?"

"You're a little sadistic."

He tightened his hold around her shoulders, and Sakura wondered if he had taken that as a compliment. Judging from his grin and glowing eyes, that would most definitely be a yes.

"You have no idea."

...

Sakura walked out of the locker room in a pair of athletic shorts and a sweater, both of her bags slung across each of her shoulders.

"Haruno-senpai! Wait!"

Jumping, she made a mad dash out of the double doors and into the courtyard, fully intent on avoiding more awkward 'boy advice' conversations with the younger females. No way in hell was she getting snagged in that. Now a safe distance away, she breathed a sigh of relief and headed towards the front gates.

"Sakura!"

She turned at the sound of her name and noticed Kisame and Deidara coming her way. Smiling, she waved and waited for them to catch up.

Deidara threw an arm over her shoulder as they exited the academy gates. "I like you, Sakura."

She raised a brow. "I'll take that as a compliment. Though I get the feeling you don't like very many people, do you?" Nevermind that today was the first time they had met.

"Nope. I think this is the start of a beautiful thing. You're a third year and I'm a third year…"

Kisame butted in, glaring at the blonde flirt and silently telling him to shove his womanizing ways. "We're having a study session tomorrow for Hatake's first exam. Drop by the third music room, second floor."

Deidara snorted. "It's more of an excuse to eat junk food and hang out. Call it what it is, Kisame, yeah."

"Shut up, Dei. Anyway, be there. Captain's orders."

"We'll see you tomorrow, mermaid-chan!" They turned right onto another block and she watched as they got lost among the small sea of people milling down the sidewalks.

Was it strange to feel as comfortable as she did around these new people? To feel as if she was reacquainting herself with some childhood friends she'd simply lost touch with through the years? Sakura liked to think she was a decent judge of character. Rooted in common sense and optimistic, caring (sometimes to a fault), but practical. She was a glass half full kind of girl. A maker of lemonade in the most sour of situations. With a sigh that was equal parts resigned and content, she shook her head and crossed the street. For a bunch of sharks, they didn't seem to have very sharp teeth, but Sakura supposed that only time would tell.

When she got home, she found her father dozing on the couch with empty cups of ramen next to him. Huffing in disapproval, she grabbed a thin blanket from the closet and padded over. As she spread it over him, Sakura noticed the photo he held. Warm memories flooded her thoughts. A watery smile touched her lips.

"I miss her, too."

"You look more and more like her every day, Sakura."

She jumped at the sound of his voice. "You were awake?"

He cracked open a green eye before snuggling into the blanket. "Can you blame me? It's not every day my darling daughter tucks me in."

Sakura rolled her eyes, unable to suppress the smile. "You're ridiculous."

"She'd be so proud of you, you know"

"I know."

"It'll be ten years on Friday...what do you say we visit her?"

She nodded before raising a brow. "You know you're not Naruto and can't live off ramen, right?"

His stomach rumbled then and she laughed. "I'll get dinner started."

As Sakura tutted around the kitchen, he stared at his wife's photo, wishing she was still here. "We're doing okay, Mirya...we're doing okay..."

...

...to be continued…

Nods of inspiration to Legally Blonde, Ouran, and Mars. I honestly don't know where this baby is going, so like you, I'm just here to enjoy the ride...

-d